If anything, I thought prepping taught us to steer clear of infections and diseases that grow rampant in our urban rat mazes. So, why in God’s name are we all darting toward swamped clinics and doctor’s offices all of a sudden? Do we WANT to get infected with corona? I do not think so.
That being said, what can we do if we suspect potential exposure to COVID-19 but do not want to spend any time in corona-infested draw centers or clinics with people bursting out the windows?
You guessed it! We can order a direct-to-customer COVID-19 test, have it delivered in an anti-microbial packaging, collect and send our sample, and receive the final report without ever leaving the safety of our homes.
Here are some of the at-home corona testing solutions at your disposal.
EverlyWell
At the moment, the EverlyWell COVID-19 test can only be ordered by clinics, hospitals, doctor’s offices, and other professional healthcare providers. Individual orders for March 2020 were disconnected since the company wants as many healthcare providers and medical staff as possible to get the kits.
In other words, you can either check if you match the CDC guidelines for emergency testing and tell your doctor to order the kit for you or you can wait for EverlyWell to establish individual orders sometime in April 2020.
We are talking about a standard at-home testing procedure with an online order, overnight or 2-day delivery (depending on your chosen shipping method), online kit registration, sample collection in your home, and sending the package back for processing using a pre-paid mailer. Note that COVID-19 tests require a saliva sample AND a nasopharyngeal swab, which is not pleasant, to say the least.
The results are usually generated within 48 hours and if you test positive, you have the right to a free telephone consultation with an in-house physician who will explain the next steps to you in great detail.
Nurx
On March 22nd, 2020, Nurx and its partner Molecular Testing Labs decided to head the FDA’s stern guidance and stop distributing its at-home COVID-19 test. Due to a limited number of testing kits, Nurx primarily focused its screening efforts on at-risk and symptomatic individuals.
Speaking of the FDA, on March 21st, they issued second guidance claiming that the original emergency use authorization does not include at-home testing providers. However, the new guidelines clearly state that all CLIA-certified entities can start producing and distributing their tests for coronavirus. Well-known at-home testing companies all have CLIA certifications or like Nurx partner with a renowned certified processing lab. See how some people got confused with all this?
Nurx offered coronavirus screening for $181 per test, which included overnight shipping, cost of the lab work & testing materials, support, and medical consultations with a licensed health provider.
We will keep monitoring the situation with Nurx’s COVID-19 test and bring you any updates as soon as they are out.
MyLab Box
On March 19th, 2020, MyLab Box announced the pre-sale of its at-home COVID-19 test, planning to launch the kit within days of the announcement. The participation in the pre-sale is reserved only for pharmacies, clinics, and doctor’s offices. In other words, no individual purchases at this time.
However, we do not know how this whole FDA thing will affect MyLab Box and its plans for the test. The moment any updates are released, we will make sure to let you know so keep checking this page for any potential news.
We do not know much about the test itself at this point, except that MyLab Box plans to organize rapid shipping so that it can reach any part of the US in just 24 hours or less. Not to mention that the shipping is entirely free of charge.
If you buy a test from a retailer, you will have access to free in-house consultations. Alternatively, if you purchase it from your physician, you can share your results with them and ask for further instructions if you test positive.
LetsGetChecked
LetsGetChecked released its two-part test for coronavirus on March 30th. It is the first test for COVID-19 to offer immediate POC (point-of-care) results followed by a complete (CLIA-certified) lab analysis with both nasal and oral swabs.
250,000 tests were committed in the first batch, but this number should go over 1 million in the next couple of months. The test is currently only available in the US, but the company plans on covering more countries in the near future.
The current iteration of the test was designed to be administered only by healthcare professionals. LetsGetChecked is working closely with the FDA on its emergency use application approval, which would allow it to create and distribute direct-to-customer COVID-19 testing kits.
The first part of the professional kit is a rapid blood test that identifies an active infection in just 15 minutes. The results can be viewed on an easy-to-read POC device that acts similarly to regular pregnancy strips. If at-home kits get approved by the FDA, they will not contain this option. The second part is a regular lab test that utilizes swab samples from the patient’s mouth and nasal cavity.
Conclusion
To recapitulate, EverlyWell is your best bet at corona testing without any human contact and dangerous interactions. We still have to see if Nurx plans to continue its distribution and what will happen with MyLab Box and LetsGetChecked. We will monitor the situation closely and bring you all the latest updates on this page the moment they are available. Stay safe!
